APPLICATION IS NOW MADE PUBLIC @ 22 JULY 2025

The application for Sand and Gravel extraction has now been deemed valid by the planning office at Leeds Council.

Objections can now be made. Click here for more details on How to Object.

Castleford Riverside Surgery joins the campaign @ 21st July 2025

We’re pleased to share that the Riverside Surgery in Castleford has submitted a letter opposing the proposed quarry. This is a second team of trusted healthcare professionals whose support carries real weight, highlighting the serious concerns about the quarry’s potential impact on public health, air quality, and community wellbeing. Their stance reinforces what so many of us already feel: that this proposal poses unacceptable risks to people's health across the Leeds Wakefield borders.

CLICK TO READ THE LETTER ->

LEEDS COUNCIL PUBLISH LARGER SITES FOR SEARCH ALLOCATIONS LLP2042 @10 JULY 2025

Leeds Planning have launched a consultation on a refresh of their Leeds Local Plan (LLP). The current (adopted) LLP containing allocations of land for specific development types expires in 2026 and will be replaced by this new LLP. This refreshed version includes previously allocated land for sand and gravel in Methley, and two further proposed allocations that are larger : In summary they as-is (and subject of Hargreaves proposal), as-is extended to residential property boundaries on Pinfold Lane & Lower Mickletown, and the third allocates all of what most of us would call Methley for mineral search. This is a case in point of one of our objection reasons : once a quarrier is in, then you cannot get 'em out. Expand Expand Expand. Phase after Phase after Phase. We'll include more of this info on Our Concerns page.

Application remains unpublished by Leeds CC planning @ 8th July 2025

The application remains unpublished by Leeds planning despite today being well beyond LCC's threshold date for Hargreaves to close 'gaps' in the application.

We as a campaign group are continuing to frequently press our elected Leeds City Councillors for their position and their action plan. The response from the leader of the council is the councillors have 'no new information', and are unaware of what has happened since the councils threshold date was passed. As a result there is no meaningful update from LCC to the campaign group about what is happening, nor about any LCC action plan for the application's next step.

MMRA therefore remain uninformed by LCC why this delay is happening, and why it is being permitted to continue in this way.

Yet time rolls on since Feb 2024, and thus so do the increasing harms being caused to residents by this apparently open ended quarry threat situation.

Site Awareness Visit 28 June 2025

Whilst we continue to wait for an application to become made public, there was a well attended Site Awareness and Appreciation event on 28 June. The perimeter of the site and the public footpaths being put at risk were walked, and the open views from both were enjoyed. Here's some photos of the event. If you have photos feel free to send them to stopmethleyquarry@gmail.com and we'll share them from here.

Kidderminster Campaign has success @23 June 2025

This campaign in Kidderminster blocked the quarry from going ahead in their village.  So can we in ours.

click here to read more

Methley Surgery joins the campaign @ 16th June 2025

We’re pleased to share that the Doctors Surgery has formally submitted a letter opposing the proposed quarry—a significant development in our campaign. As trusted healthcare professionals, their support carries real weight, highlighting the serious concerns about the quarry’s potential impact on public health, air quality, and community wellbeing. Their stance reinforces what so many of us already feel: that this proposal poses unacceptable risks to the people of Methley.

CLICK TO READ THE LETTER -> 

Hargreaves application has gaps in it @ 11th June 2025

The Stop Methley Quarry group were informed Hargreaves had submitted their application to Leeds Planning, on 28th April 2025.

Hargreaves application to Leeds council entered a ‘validation phase' during which Leeds Planning examine the application for completeness and correct consultation.

The validation phase has completed and the council have reported the application is not complete. It is missing key plans. This is again lengthening the process and the pains of it, creates concerns about the capabilities of Hargreaves to comply with planning requirements, and is a cause for alarm about Hargreaves capability to manage a quarry within the rules and regulations required throughout the lifecycles of an application, of a potential quarry, and of a restorative phase.

Until these shortcomings in Hargreaves application are closed by Hargreaves then the window for objections cannot be opened.

So again, we wait. Again. Once more we’re strung out whilst a company that’s wanting to rip up the area gets its ‘ship' in order.

The Stop Methley Quarry group have good reasons & solid data to object with, and will share it onto this site after the application is public.

Until then we understand from LCC planning that Hargreaves must comply with a requirement to submit their missing content to Leeds planning by 26th June. We understand that the council could then either publish the application or reject the application as incomplete. The process would then need to be re-started with a further application from Hargreaves.

When we know, you’ll know. Check here for the latest.

The council update received through openness and transparency via Cllr James Lewis and Cllr Mary Harland on 9 June 2025 is as follows.......

'Validation checks on this application are complete. The description of the development has been altered to clearly identify the development proposed. Planning consultations are ready to go out and the application will be advertised in the press and by 5 site notices. However, we note that multiple plans are missing from the submission so the application won’t be validated until these have been provided to us. They have (until about 25/26th June) to submit this info to us, thanks.'

Hargreaves application submitted to LCC @28th April 2025

The Stop Methley Quarry group were informed Hargreaves had submitted their application to Leeds Planning, on 28th April 2025.

It will now enter a validation phase with Leeds City Council.  Duration of this phase is unknown.  

We're expecting an application @ April 2025 (date slipped many times since July 2024)

Once the application is made public, the campaign group will require a short period to assess the detail contained within the documentation which is likely to be vast. This is necessary to help formulate the appropriate strategies for objection.

As soon as this step is in place the campaign will visibly move forward in earnest.

We will circulate information on how to write the most effective objection. Please ensure you are signed up to the mailing list below to receive this information

We will also update the website here and circulate info on our key concerns

• The proposal is to extract 2.7 million tonnes of sand and gravel (between 150,000 and 300,000 tonnes per year)

• The quarry would be in operation for AT LEAST 15 years.

• Truck movements 76 wagons per day down Green Lane and out onto the A639.

• In six months the enabling work on site could commence